1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a disc apparatus which drives an optical disc (for example, CD-R/RW, DVD-R/RW, DVD-RAM, DVD+R/RW, etc.) as a recording medium which records a large amount of information in information equipment, such as various computer systems.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a conventional disc apparatus built in a personal computer (hereinafter, often referred to as “PC”) or the like has a disc tray for loading a disc. The disc tray is configured to advance or retreat. Also, a disc loaded into the disc tray is driven in a main body of the disc apparatus to perform recording or reproducing of information.
On the other hand, as a type that does not utilize a disc tray, a so-called slot-in type of disc apparatus also shows a tendency to be frequently employed. This type of disc apparatus is suitable to make a PC slim and small. Since this type of disc apparatus does not utilize a disc tray in loading or unloading a disc into or from a main body of the apparatus, when an operator inserts the larger half of the disc into the main body, a loading mechanism of the apparatus main body is then adapted to operate to automatically load the disc (for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2002-117604).
Hereinafter, the related arts will now be explained referring to a drawing.
FIG. 57 is a top plan view schematically showing a disc apparatus 101 according to the related arts.
When a user pushes a disc D from a bezel 103 with his/her hand, the circumferential edge of the disc D comes into contact with a holder 118 at the tip of a disc support arm 117. Then, the disc support arm 117 is pushed from a position M1 to a position M2.
After a while, when a leading arm 150 rotates about a follower pin 157, the disc D arrives at a position enough to be received into the disc apparatus 101 by a force exerted by a roller 160 at the tip of the leading arm 150 being brought into contact with the circumferential edge of the disc D. The position at which the disc D arrives is the position M2 that is a drive starting position of the loading mechanism.
When the disc support arm 117 reaches the position M2, a limit switch (not shown) which interlocks with the disc support arm 117 is turned on.
The limit switch is connected to a microcomputer (not shown), and the microcomputer receives a turn-on signal from the limit switch to control driving of a loading motor (not shown). The loading motor (not shown) drives a rack main body 143 toward the inside of the disc apparatus 101, so that the rack main body 143 is driven in a direction of pulling the leading arm 150.
The follower pin 157 is moved toward the inside of the disc apparatus 101 along a guide groove 143e, so that it rotates about the pivot pin 158 from a position Q1 toward a position Q2.
After a while, the roller 160 at the tip of the leading arm 150 comes into contact with the circumferential edge of the disc D at the position Q2.
When the leading arm 150 further rotates, the disc D continues to move toward the inside of the disc apparatus 101, and the center of the disc D arrives at a turntable 110, a spindle motor (not shown) ascends in a direction vertical to a recording surface of the disc D.
As a result, the disc D is clamped by means of a clamping head 107 which is anchored to the turntable 110.
When the clamping operation is completed, a rear end of the rack main body 143 arrives at a position L2, and the rear end of the rack main body 143 pushes a loading completion detecting switch 180.
The loading completion detecting switch 180 is connected to a microcomputer (not shown), and the microcomputer receives a push signal from the loading completion detecting switch 180 to stop driving a loading motor (not shown).
The ejection of a disc is realized by allowing a loading motor (not shown) to rotate in a direction reverse to the rotational direction of the loading motor at the time of the loading operation.
First, the rack main body 143 is driven toward the bezel 103, thereby releasing a clamping state between the disc D and the clamping head 107.
Next, the disc support arm 117 linked to the rack main body 143 pushes out the disc D.
Finally, when the disc support arm 117 reaches at the position M1, the rear end of the rack main body 143 arrives at a position L1 and the rear end of the rack main body 143 releases the pressing of the ejection completion detecting switch 181.
The ejection completion detecting switch 181 is connected to a microcomputer (not shown), and the microcomputer receives a releasing signal from the ejection completion detecting switch 181 to stop driving the loading motor (not shown).
In other words, the loading completion detecting switch 180 is a sensor for detecting the completion of a loading operation, and the ejection completion detecting switch 181 is a sensor for detecting the completion of an ejecting operation.
A lever arm 144 is provided with a locking mechanism for safety. When the locking mechanism is pulled and unlocked by a force beyond a prescribed level, the length of the lever arm 144 increases.
When the disc is pulled out during the loading operation, a great pulling force is applied to the leading arm 150 via the circumferential edge of the disc D. Accordingly, the locking mechanism for safety which is provided in the lever arm 144 is unlocked, and the length of the lever arm 144 increases. Then, the leading arm 150 does not obstruct the operation of pulling out the disc D.
In the disc apparatus constructed as described above, since the loading motor (not shown) is not driven until the disc support arm has been carried to a position P2 in FIG. 57. Thus, the leading arm 150 is located at a position indicated by Q2, and the roller 160 at the tip of the leading arm 150 does not abut on the circumferential edge of the disc D. When a limit switch (not shown) is pushed by means of disc support arm 117 and the loading motor (not shown) is driven to drive the leading arm 150, the roller 160 abuts on the circumferential edge of the disc D at the position Q2, and the leading arm 150 pushes in the disc D into its loading position.
Specifically, a user should pay attention to the fact that slight time lag occurs until the roller 160 at the tip of the leading arm 160 comes in contact with the circumferential edge of the disc D after the limit switch (not shown) has been pushed. This causes the user to feel a sense of incompatibility in this type of apparatus. Hereinafter, this compatibility will be described below.
When a user pushes in the circumferential edge of the disc D with his/her fingers, the disc support arm 117 pushes the limit switch (not shown) before long. At this time, a sense of click that the limit switch is pushed is transmitted to the user via the disc D. Then, the user gets his/her hands off the disc. However, due to the above-mentioned time lag, the disc D is left immovable. Then, when the roller 160 abuts on the circumferential edge of the disc after a while, the leading arm 150 causes the disc D to enter the disc apparatus 101. This operation is not so preferable as the operation of the loading mechanism. Even if the operation is barely performed, the user may have a false idea that the disc apparatus may be broken.